Duty to God: Religious Emblems and Cub Scouts

Duty to God has a new face in the Cub Scout Adventures. From My Family’s Duty to God with the Tigers to Duty to God in Action as an Arrow of Light Scout, all Cub Scouts have a chance to make Duty to God more a part of their Scouting career. Learn ways to learn how the new elements of the Cub Scout program works with the Religious Emblems as well as learn about the Great Salt Lake Councils Duty to God camp patch that can be earned at Day Camps and Weeklong Camps.

Lord Baden Powell taught: “There is no religious side of the Scouting movement. The whole of it is based on religion, that is, on the realization and service of God. (Religion) … is already the fundamental factor pervading Scouting”. The new Cubing adventure puts a greater focus on the Duty to God on the families, but we know that sometimes families need help seeing the tie in. This class will help den leaders help families complete these adventures, especially if you have more than one faith represented in your den and pack. You will learn more about the Duty to God initiative as well as many of the religious emblems earned in our council.

“A Scout is reverent.”

All Scouts show this by being faithful in their Duty to God. Some go further and give special service. You can go to http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/Qwards/ReligiousAwards/chart.aspx to see religious emblems. These emblems are not Scouting awards. They are conferred on a Scout by his religious leader. Each faith has its own requirements for earning its emblems. Listed below are the Tiger Cub, Cub Scout, and Webelos Scout emblems and where to find out about them. Go to http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/Awards/ReligiousAwards/chart.aspx. Most of the awards consists of bar pins, ribbons and pendants, and pendants, and are warn on the uniform above the left pocket on formal occasions. In addition. the Religious Emblem Square knot, shown at the top of this page, may be worn on the uniform over the left pocket by youth or adults who earned any of the religious awards. For more information on Youth Emblems square knot patch go to the Boy Scouts of America website at http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/Awards/ReligiousAwards.aspx.

The purpose of the Duty to God, Religious Emblems and Cub Scouting are:

Establish goals and track the number of religious emblems completed each year.

Improve relationships with religious charter organizations.

Baden – Powell stated, “No man is such good unless he believes in God and obeys His laws. So every Scout should have a religion…..Religion seems a very simple thing: First, Love and Serve God. Second, Love and serve your neighbor.” (Scouting for Boys, 1908)

A Scouting Ministry – Duty to God

When we think of the word ministry, what do we think of? A white collared religious leader giving a Sunday sermon, in a small white church, with a few faithful members in his congregation? Or, how about the three years work of a humble man from Galilee? Whatever we think of, I feel that it is a powerful word that can be used to describe the sum total of our efforts in serving the young men laced before us.

Webster’s defines ministry as: “1) ministration; 2) the office duty, or function of a minister; 3) the body of ministers of religion (clergy); 4) a person or thing through which something is accomplished, (agency or instrumentality); 5) the period of service or office of a minister or ministry.”

As leaders of boys, Scoutmasters, who influence, mold and shape the lives of boys on a regular basis, who not only teach but help to cement into the hearts of young men the values or virtues of Scouting, and who are vitally needed in creating men of that can assist to establish what BP termed “the kingdom of God on the earth”. In this they are instrumental. In reality, are we not all ministers? The period of service of a person, through which something is accomplished.

What is it that we are accomplishing? When we think of the service that we give to our boys, it somehow becomes more powerful, to think of the work that we do as a ministry. How is your ministry going to be defined? When after the test of time and the boys have become men, how will your service be remembered by those who were the direct beneficiaries?

Duty to God and the Scout Law

When I think of the Scout Law, I reflect upon the life of one who knew the laws of God and who kept them—even the Lord, Jesus Christ. The twelve points of the Scout Law have their counterpart in the message of the Master.

A Scout is trustworthy. What did the Lord say? “I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.” (John 17:4.)

A Scout is loyal. “Get thee behind me, Satan.” (Luke 4:8.)

A Scout is helpful. “Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.” (John 5:8.)

A Scout is friendly. “Ye are my friends.” (John 15:14.)

A Scout is courteous. “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.” (Matt. 7:12.)

A Scout is kind. “Suffer the little children to come unto me. … And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.” (Mark 10:14, 16.)

A Scout is obedient. “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.” (John 6:38.)

A Scout is cheerful. “Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33.)

A Scout is thrifty. “Sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.” (Luke 18:22.)

A Scout is brave. “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” (Matt. 26:39.)

A Scout is clean. “…be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord.” (D&C 38:42, see also Isaiah 52:11, Psalms 24:3-5.)

A Scout is reverent. “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.” (Matt. 6:9.)

The Scout Law not only influences the lives of the boys themselves; they also affect their future lives as well. “Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.” (Eccl. 11:1.) Such is Scouting.

Religious Award Presentation Ceremony

Tonight we have the t honored to recognize a Cub Scouts who have demonstrated achievement by earning awards. He has demonstrated his commitment to the Cub Scout Promise.

Dim lights and light a candle in front of a large replica of the religious emblem square knot.

Cub Scout ___, please escort your parents to the front of the room and then turn to face the pack.

We are very proud of ___. For the past ___ months he has worked with both his family and his religious advisor to learn more about his religious faith and his duty to God. After much hard work and personal growth, he has received the right to wear the religious emblem of his faith on his uniform and was presented with a medal by his religious advisor.

Like all Scouts who have received a religious award, he may now wear Scouting’s universal religious award square knot, and may continue to wear it on his Boy Scout uniform and adult uniform.

We now take great pleasure in presenting the religious emblem square knot to his parents in recognition of the role they have and will continue to play in his religious growth. Mr. and Mrs. ___, will you present your son with the religious emblem square knot?

___, we know you will wear this square knot centered over your left pocket with pride.

Congratulations on your accomplishment. You have lived the Cub Scout promise well. Please escort your parents back to their seats.

Almost every religious body in the United States has a religious emblem program open to Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, 4-H, and Campfire Incorporated. We encourage all Scouts to consider participating in this program. If any other boys in this pack are interested in working toward the religious award of their own faith, please see ___

(Awards Chairman) at the end of this meeting. He/she has information on the emblems and will make it available to you.

The Aims of Scouting

Character Development

Citizenship

Personal Fitness

Ideals of Scouting

Scout Oath

Scout Law

Scout Motto

Scout Slogan

Methods of Scouting

Ideals

Patrols

Outdoor Program

Association with Adults

Personal Growth

Leadership Development

Uniform

“Be Prepared” in this way, to live happy and die happy; stick to your Scout Promise always – even after you ceased to be a boy— and God help you do it” Your Friend Baden Powell
(From Baden Powell’s last message)